Smith was blindsided and mad when informed he's being sent to Syracuse, a source told Tim Healey of Newsday. He won't report to Triple-A until Tuesday.

With slugging rookie Pete Alonso cementing himself as the Mets' everyday first baseman, Smith was forced into a bench role. He's adjusted well to that change, batting .333/.459/.400 over 37 plate appearances in 29 games.

The 23-year-old was also open to switching positions to provide more flexibility, and he warmed up in left field prior to games. That work didn't save his roster spot now, but the front office took notice of the effort.

"Dom has a really bright future in Major League Baseball and particularly with us," GM Brodie Van Wagenen told Healey. "He helped us win games in April, bottom line. And we believe he’s going to help us win games going forward.

"Dom's put himself in a really good position short-term and long-term in the organization…Even in that scenario when Pete's doing great, Dom has a role on the team. There's just obviously a lot of different moving pieces that have to be factored in."

If Hechavarria wasn't promoted on Friday, he would have been able to opt out of his minor-league deal.